WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark’s MinuteClinic has opened three walk-in clinics inside CVS/pharmacy stores in the Asheville, N.C. area, and three additional locations are expected to open by year-end.

The new clinics are located in Arden, Asheville and Hendersonville. Three additional clinics are expected to open by the end of the year in Asheville, Brevard and Waynesville.

MinuteClinic launched its first medical clinics in North Carolina in 2005 and now has 41 locations inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in the Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro/Winston-Salem and Raleigh-Durham markets.

Andrew Sussman, president of MinuteClinic and SVP/ associate chief medical officer CVS Caremark, believes MinuteClinic can help alleviate the severe primary care shortage that is expected to worsen over the coming decade in North Carolina.

"We believe MinuteClinic can be part of the solution to help broaden access to high-quality, convenient and affordable healthcare services in North Carolina," he stated.